USDA Mandates Dairy Cow Testing For Bird Flu

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is calling for all dairy cows transported across state lines to be tested for bird flu. In March, an outbreak of the disease was found in dairy cow herds for the first time. Officials confirmed this week that virus fragments were detected in pasteurized milk samples. There is no risk to the public from the fragments but USDA says cows have to be tested when the animals are moved from state to state. A dairy worker in Texas was recently diagnosed with a mild case of the virus after coming into contact with an infected animal.